Florence Griswold Museum to show 'Visions of Mood ~ Henry C. White Pastels'

Written by rubin Sunday, 22 February 2009 13:23

OLD LYME, CT - The Florence Griswold Museum, the Home of American Impressionism, in Old Lyme, Connecticut, announces spring exhibition. Visions of Mood: Henry C. White Pastels will be on view April 18 through July 12, 2009. Lyme Art Colony painter Henry C. White (1861 - 1952) is the patriarch of a family of Connecticut artists and art patrons. Last year, in some of White's stored belongings, his grandsons discovered a trove of pastels that had never been on public view. These vibrant landscapes provide insight into a new side of White's art-making. While White preferred to paint the muted tints of spring and fall rather than the "spinach" greens of summer, these pastel sketches glow with intense color.

"White was clearly experimenting with color and texture in these works," notes Curator Amy Kurtz Lansing. "He worked quickly outdoors, applying the pastel to tinted paper with gestural strokes.” Although he drew them rapidly, “the landscapes are meditative in spirit,” Kurtz Lansing adds. Often, White depicted familiar terrain near Hartford, where he grew up, or around his house on the Waterford shore. He lovingly captures the landscape’s moods in different seasons and times of day. A short catalogue featuring a remembrance by the artist’s grandson, painter Nelson H. White, an essay by the curator, and a portfolio of illustrations accompanies the exhibition.

Located on an 11-acre site in the historic village of Old Lyme, the Florence Griswold Museum is known as the Home of American Impressionism. In addition to the restored Florence Griswold House, where the artists of the Lyme Art Colony lived, the Museum features a riverfront gallery for changing art exhibitions, education center, extensive gardens, and a restored artist’s studio. The Museum is located at 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, exit 70 off I-95 and is open year round Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday 1 to 5pm. Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for students, and free to children 12 and under. For more information, visit the Museum’s web site Florence Griswold Museum or call 860-434-5542.